Abstracts Category : Other

A study of risk factors associated with inflammatory bowel disease

by Tony S Gibson

The increase in incidence and prevalence worldwide of inflammatory bowel disease represents a growing public health concern that requires an overall better understanding of the etiology of the disease along with the risk factors related to the onset of disease. The current literature is unsettled in determining if a lack of exercise, along with overall physical activity, coupled with a sedentary lifestyle is a significant risk factor for inflammatory bowel disease. Unfortunately, most studies to date have failed to stratify the level of physical activity in which the person is most frequently participating. The relative frequency and type of exercise were hypothesized to be a significant risk factor for inflammatory bowel disease and thus demand further study. As an impetus to understand the factors that contribute to inflammatory bowel disease, a random sample of 5466 people from the general population in 2007 were studied to determine if they have been diagnosed with having inflammatory bowel disease. In conjunction with inflammatory bowel disease a variety of risk factors were also obtained such as frequency and type of physical activity performed along with demographic and individual data. Using logistic regression models, it was determined that persons that participated more frequently in vigorous physical activity as opposed to moderate physical activity were less likely to have been diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease. In addition, females were more positively associated with disease as well as smokers. The results of this study highlight the need for additional data collection in order to more completely understand the relation between physical activity and inflammatory bowel disease.Advisors/Committee Members: Public Health, Alcaraz, John, Brodine, Stephanie, Lui, Kung-Jong.